High Water in Venice

In Venice there are tidal waters. We have an app on our phone which shows us the situation of the tide. On October 27th it was very high.

Our boat is moored alongside a floating pontoon. This pontoon goes up with the water when the high tide comes in, so it's no problem to get off the boat. But this pontoon, that you see, is not a floating pontoon. We usually walk over this pontoon to get to the vaporetto, but today it is under water. We made a deviation through the park.

At the end of the park we can get to the pontoon to go to the vaporetto. Normally there is no water on this sandy area. The water you see wasn't rainwater, it was the sea flooding.

During high water in Venice, the high tides flood the lower lying areas of the city. Our app tells where it's flooded or where boots are still sufficient to get by. San Marco Square is always the first place to be flooded.

From the vaporetto we saw the high water along the quay.

When we got out of the vaporetto we saw the waves flowing over the very wide sidewalk.

When you have goods to transport you have to be careful how to do it, so that they don't get wet. This house has a metal shield in front of the door to keep out most of the water.

We started walking towards the San Marco Square. We were 'prepared' and had put on our boots. The tourists had to go barefoot.

We pass by a hotel. To go in, you have to walk over the ramps above the water.

But not only to the door, but all the way inside.

Normally there would be no water here, today it looks like it's part of the sea, but no, it was the sidewalk. There are lots of policemen around, taking care of everything and giving a helping hand.

The goods were still arriving, so they had to be transported. The man with the trolley was walking on the sidewalk!

And then we came to the elevated pathways which lead us to the San Marco Square.

And here we are, the San Marco Square was indeed flooded! It was too deep for our boots.

Tourists have to choose between bare feet or colored plastic covers.

Most tourists have the colored plastic covers.

The police, with their high-water boots don't get wet legs or feet. These policemen are not short; it's just that the water in this spot is very high!

The San Marco Square was under water, and so were the yellow chairs where people usually have a cup of coffee.

This policeman was very helpful; here he carried the suitcase of a tourist.

The lion was happy that he had dry feet.

The waves were rolling over the sidewalk towards the San Marco. The gondolas were actually above the sidewalk level; perhaps they will go floating over the sidewalk. But no, the gondolas were all parked, since they couldn't pass under the bridges during this high water.

The vendor on the left was selling umbrellas and colored plastic covers.

The vaporetto house was also 'floating', that's why it's so high with such a steep incline to the quay.

Water everywhere!! Except on the elevated pathways and the steep entrance of the Vaporetto.

The water in the Grand Canal was also very high; the palace with it's feet in the water.

It looked as if the water could stream in through one door while the other door was closed with a metal plate, trying to keep the water out.

Coming down the bridge you stepped directly into the water.

Another door in the water.

The bride in her high heels. This will be a memorable day, but perhaps not for the right reasons.

We decided that we had to buy high boots, so that we could walk everyone, also over the San Marco Square. So via this ladder, we climbed into the shop where they sold them.

Satisfied Peter stepped out of the shop with his high boots on.

Peter proudly posed in front of the San Marco. Now we could walk everywhere and have dry feet!

It was also streaming into the shops around the square.

If you look at the front peak of the gondola, you can see why it was not possible for the gondolas to pass under the bridges.